Ref.11386
Christophe FRATIN (1801-1864), Taureau à la grenouille (A Bull With a Frog)

Between 1839 and 1849 (?) Chef-modèle made out of patinated bronze, base in Rouge Griotte marble. Signed « Fratin », « Fonderie de L. Richard Eyck et Durand » engraved on the base. Dimensions : L. 47 cm / 18’’ 1/2 ; H. 23 cm / 9’’ 1/16 ; P. 26 cm / 10’’ 1/4 REF. 11386 This sculpture was made out of bronze during the 19th century by the famous animal sculptor Christophe Fratin. It represents a young bull moving and more specifically chasing the little frog it has on his back. An other amphibian is set on the base. The reason why this sculpture has so many sharp details is that it is a chef-modèle (original mould) allowing the reproduction of the sculpture in order to produce commercial copies. Indeed, the details lose their quality during the overmoulding process so the chef-modèle is sculpted so as to prevent this loss. When the piece is not meant to be cast in one go, it has to be dismantle so there are bolts which link the different parts of the piece as is the case here. The quality of the beautiful brown patina should be underlined. After the 1848 Revolution, the downturn of the art market forces Fratin to sell his works during auctions, most of the time with their publishing rights which is extremeley rare for a 19th century’s sculptor. Our sculpture has been reassembled with the bolts which were added for the purpose of the sale. We don’t know any copy that would have been made from this chef-modèle, making it particularly unique. In the catalogue of one of these auctions (in July 1849), a « Taureau à la grenouille » (Bull With a Frog) is mentioned, so we can date our sculpture from before 1849.

Ref.13874
Affortunato GORI, Sculpture in Carrara marble depicting three busts of children on its original column

This Carrara marble sculpture bears the signature "A. Gori" of the Florentine sculptor Affortunato Gori (active between 1895 and 1925), from his real name Fortunato Gori. After studied in Firenze under the direction of Auguste Rivalta, our sculptor moves to Paris in the beginning of the 20th century and exhibits in the Salon des Artistes Français from 1902 and until 1923. He makes here a sculpture that is full of delicacy, hrough the representation in buist of three children hugging each other. One of them is kissing on the cheek the child with curly hair placed on the center of the composition, while the other one grabs his chin to bring his cheek closer to his, their arms crossing on the back. The sculptor translates with this work the expression of kindness and love, as it comes from their smiles and as we can read in the children's eyes. the ovale base ovale of our sculpture was made of a very beautiful Arabescato marble, it rests on a original pedestal forming an elegant column sculpted in Saint Rémy marble.

Ref.14015
Japanese Half-Moon Display Cabinet, late 19th century

This Japanese-style half-moon display cabinet was made at the end of the 19th century. It is part of the Japonism trend that was then sweeping through European art. Two of its four legs are wrapped in gilded copper sheaths in the shape of lion’s paws, with their stylized upper ends reminiscent of the depiction of clouds or smoke in East Asian art. At the shelf level, fine openwork ornamentation also draws inspiration from East Asian motifs. The central body of the cabinet, still in a half-moon shape, is lined with red velvet fabric. The door is adorned with a small gilded bronze dragon breathing fire. It is topped by a tall, narrow display case crowned with a pagoda roof and a roaring gilded bronze dragon. Japonism emerged in the West under the influence of Japanese art, following Japan’s opening to the rest of the world and its participation in the 1867 Universal Exhibition. Painting, like the decorative arts, was transformed by contact with East Asian art, as evidenced by this delicate cabinet. In its style and the detail of its ornamentation, this piece of furniture can be associated with the production of the house of Perret & Vibert. Its lion’s paw-shaped legs, the fine openwork ornaments that are alternately geometric and curved, the small display case, and the fierce dragon crowning the piece are all indicators. This cabinet is, moreover, close to a display cabinet depicted in the sketchbooks of this prestigious house.

Ref.15214
Louis XVI style trumeau with flower basket and garland of flowers

Ref.15441
Jean-Jacques FEUCHÈRE (attributed to), Jardiniere with Three Tritonesses in Porphyry and Marble, first half of the 19th century

This jardiniere with three tritonesses was created in the first half of the 19th century, with the sculpture attributed to Jean-Jacques Feuchère, and the basin (or labrum) in porphyry dating back to the 17th century. Porphyry is “a purple rock speckled with white, extracted from the Eastern Egyptian desert”. Due to its color, it was associated with imperial prestige in antiquity. Its extreme hardness, requiring expert craftsmanship, further enhances the symbolic prestige of this material. The quarries where porphyry was mined were located in the Egyptian desert and were abandoned in the 5th century. As a result, all objects made between that time and the 18th century were created by reusing ancient pieces. Here, the porphyry is paired with white marble, creating a harmonious contrast between the two parts of the work. The porphyry basin is inspired by models of ancient labra as found in the most prestigious Roman baths. However, it was likely made in the 17th century, a time when the cutting of porphyry resumed. Its perfectly circular form, carved from a single block, is emphasized by alternating convex and concave curves, with the upper section flaring outwards. A discreet circular opening allows water to drain. The sculpture serving as the support for the basin is attributed to Jean-Jacques Feuchère (Paris, 1807-1852). The son of a chiseler, Feuchère initially worked for goldsmiths and bronze manufacturers before transitioning to more monumental work. He exhibited at nearly every Parisian Salon from 1831 until his death in 1852. The sculptural ornamentation is intricately detailed. On a hexagonal base covered in moss from moisture, three kneeling tritonesses rest on their split fish tails, which intertwine with those of their neighbors. Algae transition between their fish-like lower bodies and their feminine upper bodies. The three tritonesses, their heads tilted to the side and crowned with leaves and fruits, act as caryatids, supporting the basin with their folded arms, which are joined behind their heads. Reeds emerge between each of them. The motif of the tritonesses is inspired by numerous 18th-century works featuring hybrid aquatic creatures, especially in Rococo and Baroque art. However, their style belongs to the 19th century, a time when similar motifs were revived. The tritoness motif also appears in the design of the central piece of a surtout created by François-Désiré Froment-Meurice (1801-1855) for the Duke of Luynes between 1846 and 1851 (now in the Louvre Museum), based on a drawing by Jean-Jacques Feuchère. A photograph in the collections of the Orsay Museum, taken around 1858, provides a clear view of these figures, particularly one whose posture closely resembles that of our tritonesses. Our jardinière follows in the tradition of this iconic work. The fountain formerly located on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, erected in 1843, features the same motif: on either side of the fountain’s base, a triton and a tritoness with intertwined tails support a basin in their folded arms, which in turn holds a putto and a swan. As with our jardiniere, the tritoness has a double fish tail, a subtle transition between human and animal forms, and the posture of a caryatid with her arm raised over her head. Nearly identical tritoness-caryatids to those on the Parisian fountain were still offered for casting by the Ducel Foundry, later acquired by the Val d’Osne foundry, among their fountain and basin ornaments (Ducel-Val d’Osne catalog, circa 1880, plate 212). The tritoness motif characterizing our jardinière, a popular theme in the 19th century, was already in use in the first half of the century by Jean-Jacques Feuchère or foundries, among others. It continued to be significant in the second half of the century, though the motif became more standardized, unlike the uniqueness and originality of the sculpted base of our work.